Report: Neither iOS nor Android inherently more secure than the other

Apple's tight vetting of mobile applications gives it a security edge over Android, but there are still several ways for attackers to steal data from iOS devices, a mobile security company warned in a report Tuesday.

The report looked at the risk factors facing users of the platforms, concluding that enterprises still face data breach risks regardless of the platform used.

"Neither iOS nor Android is inherently more secure than the other," according to Marble Security. "The risks to enterprises allowing employees to bring in their own devices, whether iOS or Android-based, are not that dissimilar."

For iOS users who haven't jailbroken their devices, the only source of applications is the App Store, which Apple closely monitors for potentially malicious applications. But Android users have a choice of many marketplaces outside of Google's Play store which may not analyze applications for bad behavior, the report said.

Apple has another small advantage in that iOS has much less "fragmentation," or a multitude of versions and configurations of its operating system. In contrast, Android is heavily fragmented: Marble Security counted 11,868 types of devices that run myriad versions of Android.

Those Android versions "may have security vulnerabilities, old patch levels, insecure configurations or unsecured apps installed from the factory," the report said.

Still, there are a couple of avenues into the "walled garden" of iOS, it said. For example, an application not from the App Store can be installed on a non-jailbroken device using TestFlight, which is a platform for distributing beta apps to select user groups.

"While Android devices can more easily obtain apps from non-vetted sites, there are many ways for iOS apps to also get onto devices, which spells trouble for the enterprise," Marble said.

iOS faces risks from mobile device management configurations, which can be delivered via a website. That kind of attack would require using social engineering to lure someone to a website and convincing the person to install a malicious configuration, the report said.

But "if that user installs a hostile configuration profile, then the enterprise is at risk for intercepted traffic, fake app installation, sophisticated phishing and APTs (advanced persistent threats)," Marble said. "We have seen many tactics used to deceive users to install these profiles."

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